Film study: Time to ride Lamar Jackson?

Film study: Time to ride Lamar Jackson?

Football coaches are notoriously tightlipped. But they will tell you how they feel about players in the way they use them.

Cagey and evasive last week, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive staff spoke clearly with Sunday’s game plan against the Cincinnati Bengals: Right now, they trust Lamar Jackson the runner far more than Lamar Jackson the passer.

The Ravens totaled 54 rushes — 27 by Jackson, most by a quarterback in a game since 1950 — on 75 plays, despite being tied or trailing for 37 of 60 minutes. Marty Mornhinweg didn’t call a pass play until the team’s 13th offensive snap, and Jackson didn’t attempt a throw until the 14th. The rookie finished with 19 attempts, two sacks and four or five pass plays that turned into scrambles.

Not surprisingly, Jackson’s unique mobility became the fulcrum of an extremely diverse collection of run designs.

Baltimore already had a widely expansive run scheme, featuring man- and zone-blocking and many wrinkles stemming from the creative use of tight ends. On Sunday, it blended in a slew of different formations — most from shotgun or pistol — and added myriad concepts to highlight Jackson’s legs: zone-read, jet sweep, option, QB draw, QB sweep, inverted veer and more.

The Ravens split their offensive tackles wide on one play, ran a funky delayed reverse flip to John Brown off play-action on another, and even used Robert Griffin III as a jet-sweep decoy in short yardage. There were four QB draws, including two in a row at one point, and a total of nine runs on third down, six when needing at least 4 yards to convert.

Baltimore’s exceedingly run-heavy approach was understandable for a QB making his first NFL start, and the number of designs tailored specifically to Jackson’s skill set showed the Ravens are prepared to someday build the offense around him. But the plan still stood as an indictment of Jackson’s development as a passer, especially against an awfully exploitable Bengals defense.

When the Ravens did throw, they simplified reads with play-action — including a number of bootlegs — about half of the time and mostly relied on quick, short routes between the numbers.

Jackson’s mechanics as a passer were encouraging, especially his wider base — he threw with his feet far too close together in college — promoting a more consistent and accurate delivery. His ball placement often set receivers up for yards after the catch, including on a few sidearm flicks. He also made a pair of outstanding off-schedule plays while scrambling right: A 23-yarder to Brown set up a long field goal just before halftime, and a 19-yard bullet to Mark Andrews (Jackson’s best play of the day) converted a third-and-7 early in the fourth quarter.

But the double-edged sword cut both ways, justifying the tepid game plan. Jackson went sidearm unnecessarily several times, doinking guard Alex Lewis in the back of the helmet on one such attempt. More concerning, he threw carelessly into coverage twice while scrambling, once on his second attempt of the game — linebacker Jordan Evans dropped it — and again early in the third quarter, when safety Shawn Williams picked him off from an underneath zone.

Despite improved mechanics, Jackson often played unsettled in the pocket, holding the ball too long on straight dropbacks and juking wildly to escape pressure rather than sliding or stepping up to throw. The 32nd overall pick was comfortable processing pro-style, downfield route combinations under Bobby Petrino at Louisville, but he rarely processed anything quickly enough on Sunday to turn it loose on-time beyond 10 yards.

Such issues are normal for rookies, as was the Ravens’ approach to hide them on Sunday. But the exceedingly short leash on Jackson also suggests — assuming nothing changes this week or next — that Joe Flacco will reclaim the starting job when he’s healthy.

You can make a compelling case to roll the dice and stick with the rookie. Jackson helped the Ravens snap a three-game losing streak. He needs live reps to develop, and the team could lean on his legs to mitigate growing pains in the meantime. An extremely juicy slate of defenses — Raiders, Falcons, Chiefs, Bucs — awaits over the next four weeks.

But Harbaugh knows he won’t be able to run 50 times a game. Jackson will face a double-digit deficit at some point and be forced into obvious passing situations. With more tape on the youngster, defenses will dial in on Baltimore’s schematic wrinkles and unveil several of their own.

Right or wrong, the Ravens played Sunday’s game like they were forced to start Jackson, not like they wanted to. That’s reasonable — the same is true anytime a backup quarterback takes the field — and Jackson doesn’t need to take the reins full-time right now. When he does, it will come with a complete philosophical shift on offense from which there will be no turning back.

For now, Harbaugh appears set on sticking with what he knows. Still in the thick of the AFC wild-card race, he’ll go with the veteran Flacco, rather than a quarterback whom he doesn’t yet trust to run the full playbook.

–Jalen Ramsey reminds everyone he’s unique

Whether he was assuring the Jacksonville Jaguars they should never trade him, or trying to catch the eye of suitors for his services, Ramsey was showing off on Sunday.

Hours after reports (which the team refuted) that the Jaguars could eventually trade him, Ramsey shadowed Antonio Brown for most of the day and all but locked him up. Brown made just one (very) meaningful grab versus Ramsey’s coverage: a 25-yarder on third-and-10 in the final minute. To be fair, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger failed to see Brown after he beat Ramsey on a double move in the second quarter, but Brown’s 78-yard touchdown was purely on free safety Tashaun Gipson. Otherwise, there were a few short completions and a slew of misses.

Most impressively, Ramsey created three interceptions on throws targeting Brown — one where his tight coverage forced a high throw to safety Barry Church, and a pair that Ramsey snagged himself for two of the best picks you’ll see.

Ramsey made both look remarkably easy. The first came despite Brown being his secondary assignment, as his primary job in Cover-3 was to play any vertical route by Ryan Switzer, who aligned outside as Brown moved inside to the slot. But when Switzer ran a 1-yard hitch, Ramsey went inside looking for work and undercut Brown’s seam route.

Roethlisberger never expected Ramsey to factor on the play because most cornerbacks wouldn’t come close — he was playing off-coverage several yards outside of Brown, who peeled to the inside. But Ramsey used every bit of his elite speed and length to close 5 yards of separation in a blink and snare the throw, hanging on for a fabulous grab as he tumbled to the turf.

On the second interception, Ramsey matched Brown in press coverage out of Cover-3 and mirrored him beautifully on a slant to the end zone. But Brown still had inside leverage, and Roethlisberger put a laser on Brown’s upfield shoulder so the wideout could shield with his body.

No matter for Ramsey, who leapt early, reached his hands up and around Brown’s helmet and got both paws on the ball. After it hit Brown’s helmet and squirted out of Ramsey’s hands, the corner managed to corral the ball with his right as he and Brown fell, stifling a Steelers scoring chance.

Yes, Roethlisberger ultimately wormed his way into the lead, handing the Jaguars a brutal loss, but that shouldn’t take the shine off of Ramsey’s performance. The brash 24-year-old had already said enough through his play.

Just one question, Jalen: Why the heck did you need a balaclava on a 75-degree day in Jacksonville?

–James Bradberry and the fickle nature of NFL cornerbacking

You probably don’t know a ton about Bradberry.

A second-round pick from Samford in 2016, he might be best known as the guy the Carolina Panthers reached for because they desperately needed cornerbacks after removing the franchise tag on Josh Norman. He has an unremarkable four interceptions in 39 games and plays in a zone-heavy scheme that has survived with unheralded cornerbacks for years.

But Bradberry has had a terrific season opposite plucky rookie Donte Jackson. The 6-foot-1, 212-pounder is long and physical, but he also moves extremely easily for his size, with a buttery backpedal and lightning-quick transitions to break forward or sideways. He reads routes shrewdly, often winning at the stem, and he’s comfortable playing either side and occasionally in the slot, often matching opponents’ top receivers.

In Week 9, Bradberry erased top Bucs wideout Mike Evans, limiting him to one catch for 16 yards. But in the two weeks since, the pendulum has swung the other way, and not through any major fault of Bradberry’s.

The Steelers burst the cornerback’s bubble on their first play from scrimmage in Week 10, baiting him with a route combination specifically designed to exploit Carolina’s coverage rules. James Washington ran a curl route outside at 8 yards, just far enough vertically to make Bradberry, assigned the deep third of the field in Cover-3, match him. As Roethlisberger pump-faked, JuJu Smith-Schuster — who came from a nasty split (tight to the formation) far away from Bradberry — snuck by on a slot fade for a 75-yard touchdown.

Bradberry could have handled that play better, but most corners would have done the same. His luck worsened Sunday against the Lions, as Kenny Golladay wound up the hero in Detroit despite getting mostly the same treatment Bradberry gave Evans.

The Panthers had Bradberry shadow Golladay all day, except in the slot out of zone coverage, and he blanketed him throughout. Golladay tallied gains of 9, 5 and 11 yards underneath Bradberry’s cushion, and he had two grabs for 20 yards in other defenders’ coverage against zone, but the corner gave him major issues in press coverage.

Bradberry routinely jammed Golladay at the line and threw off the route’s timing. That was the case on four incompletions from Matthew Stafford that had little chance, including a pair of fade routes on which Bradberry squeezed Golladay perfectly to the sideline. He also mirrored well from off-coverage, rarely giving Stafford much of a window.

But that wasn’t enough against the 6-foot-4, 213-pound wideout.

The Lions’ first touchdown drive should have ended in an interception, or at least an incompletion. On third-and-7, Bradberry disrupted Golladay’s release and broke perfectly on his out route, undercutting Stafford’s throw. Caught cleanly, it was likely a pick-six, but Golladay’s mitts reached over and wrenched it away. The leaping, contested catch was so mesmerizing that two officials (and Ron Rivera, on his own sideline) failed to notice Golladay’s right toe came down out of bounds.

Golladay struck twice more when it mattered most, on the Lions’ game-winning drive. On third-and-15, Bradberry was all over Golladay’s curl route at the sticks, but Stafford broke contain for a sandlot-style 36-yard throw to Golladay, who had ad-libbed and drawn a holding flag on Bradberry before making the grab.

Two plays later, the cornerback blanketed Golladay’s deep out to force a wide throw, but Detroit ran a nearly identical play the next snap on third-and-10. This time, Stafford compensated for Bradberry’s airtight coverage by lofting a tear-drop — delivered perfectly despite pressure in his face — where only Golladay could get it. The wideout somehow snagged it with his fingertips while leaping backwards at full extension, and with Bradberry raking at the ball on the way down, for the game-winning 19-yard score.

That’s just life as an NFL cornerback.

The rules are stacked against you, and the quarterbacks and receivers are good enough to beat perfect coverage. Even at the top of your game, something will eventually go wrong.

Mickelson: Family not part of college admissions scheme

Mickelson: Family not part of college admissions scheme

Golfer Phil Mickelson said he paid the ringleader of a college admissions bribery scheme for college preparation for his children but nothing more.

Speaking Thursday after the opening round of The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra, Fla., Mickelson said he and his wife, Amy, hired William Singer’s for-profit tutoring company. But, he added, he never made a financial donation to Singer’s nonprofit group, Key World Foundation, in expectation of Singer’s help of getting his children into a college they weren’t qualified to attend.

Singer admitted to using the foundation to illegally funnel bribes received from parents.

“We, along with thousands of other families, hired he and his company to help guide us through the college application process,” Mickelson told reporters. “We’re as shocked as everyone the last few days.”

The Mickelsons have three children. Their 19-year-old daughter, Amanda, attends Brown University. Their younger daughter and son are in high school.

On Tuesday, Singer pleaded guilty to numerous charges that had to do with his work in helping the children of well-to-do parents gain admission to top universities either by arranging to fix their scores on tests such as the SAT, or by building a profile of the students as recruited athletes and connecting them with coaches. Members of athletic staffs at several Division I universities, recruited by Singer, have been indicted in connection with the case.

Singer published a testimonial letter from the Mickelsons on his company’s website, which the golfer said his wife wrote as a thank you for assistance in the college-prep efforts for the children.

“We’re not a part of this,” Mickelson said of the scheme. “Most every family that hired his company was not a part of it. I think that’s why we’re all so surprised.”

He said his children have both the academic and athletic prowess to be considered by leading colleges on their own.

Amanda Mickelson was the captain of the lacrosse and tennis teams at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, Calif. She also was on the basketball team.

“Our kids, schools are like fighting to get them,” Mickelson said. “I say that as a proud dad. Their grades and outside activities and worldly beliefs are things that have colleges recruiting them. [Singer and his company] helped us through the whole process because it can be confusing.”

Reports: Raiders release WR Nelson

Reports: Raiders release WR Nelson

The Oakland Raiders released wide receiver Jordy Nelson on Thursday, according to multiple reports, less than three months after paying him a $3.6 million roster bonus for 2019.

The Raiders gave Nelson — who joined the team on a two-year, $14.2 million deal last spring — his bonus on Dec. 28, which was earlier than required, for cap purposes. Head coach Jon Gruden said at the time regarding Nelson, “Yeah, he’ll be back.”

Instead, Nelson has been released, after earning just under $11 million for one year. The team will save just over $3.5 million against the cap in 2019, with $1.8 million in dead money.

Oakland traded for star wideout Antonio Brown over the weekend, then signed former Los Angeles Chargers deep threat Tyrell Williams in free agency.

Nelson, who turns 34 in May, has now been released in consecutive offseasons, after the Green Bay Packers let him go last spring. He had 63 catches for 739 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games (14 starts) last season.

Nelson had 97 grabs for 1,257 yards and a league-high 14 scores in 2016 while coming off a torn ACL, but he posted just 53 catches for 482 yards in 2017, marking a career-low 9.1 yards per catch. In 10 career seasons, he has 613 catches for 8,587 yards and 72 touchdowns.

The Raiders also officially announced the re-signing of defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and the addition of former Los Angeles Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner. Both deals were reported earlier this week.

Raiders release WR Nelson, QB McCarron

Raiders release WR Nelson, QB McCarron

The Oakland Raiders released wide receiver Jordy Nelson on Thursday, less than three months after paying him a $3.6 million roster bonus for 2019.

The Raiders gave Nelson — who joined the team on a two-year, $14.2 million deal last spring — his bonus on Dec. 28, which was earlier than required, for cap purposes. Head coach Jon Gruden said at the time regarding Nelson, “Yeah, he’ll be back.”

Instead, Nelson has been released, after earning just under $11 million for one year. The team will save just over $3.5 million against the cap in 2019, with $1.8 million in dead money.

Oakland traded for star wideout Antonio Brown over the weekend, then signed former Los Angeles Chargers deep threat Tyrell Williams in free agency.

Nelson, who turns 34 in May, has now been released in consecutive offseasons, after the Green Bay Packers let him go last spring. He had 63 catches for 739 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games (14 starts) last season.

Nelson had 97 grabs for 1,257 yards and a league-high 14 scores in 2016 while coming off a torn ACL, but he posted just 53 catches for 482 yards in 2017, marking a career-low 9.1 yards per catch. In 10 career seasons, he has 613 catches for 8,587 yards and 72 touchdowns.

The Raiders also announced the release of quarterback AJ McCarron, six months after acquiring him from the Buffalo Bills for a fifth-round pick.

McCarron, 28, was set to count $5 million against the cap in 2019, all of which Oakland will save with his release.

A former fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals who went 2-1 as a fill-in starter in 2015, McCarron attempted three passes in two games last year, completing one for 8 yards. He is 87 of 136 for 928 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions in his career.

Oakland also officially announced the re-signing of defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and the addition of former Los Angeles Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner. Both deals were reported earlier this week.

Giants add Tate for reported four years, $37.5M

Giants add Tate for reported four years, $37.5M

The New York Giants found some wide receiver help Thursday when they agreed to a four-year, $37.5 million deal with Golden Tate, $23 million of which is fully guaranteed, according to multiple reports.

Tate acknowledged the signing on Twitter, tweeting an image of the “I love New York” logo and making it his new profile picture.

Tate will pick up at least some of the slack after wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was traded to the Cleveland Browns this week. A nine-year veteran, Tate, 30, caught 74 passes for 795 yards and four touchdowns for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles last season.

Tate was traded from Detroit to Philadelphia before the trade deadline in October for a third-round draft pick in the upcoming draft.

The former second-round pick in 2010 by the Seattle Seahawks has caught 611 passes for 7,214 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Seahawks, Lions and Eagles. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 2014 season, his first with the Lions, when he caught a career-best 99 passes for 1,331 yards and four TDs.

Tate told reporters after the season that if he didn’t stay with Philadelphia, he hoped to latch on with a contender.

“My years are limited,” Tate said at the time. “I don’t have time to go someone who’s trying to rebuild. I need to go somewhere where they believe they can win now.”

Bears sign SS Clinton-Dix to one-year deal

Bears sign SS Clinton-Dix to one-year deal

Strong safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signed a one-year deal worth a reported $3.5 million with the Chicago Bears.

NFL Network reported Clinton-Dix turned down more money to play in Chicago with fellow Alabama safety Eddie Jackson, who made the Pro Bowl last season at free safety.

Clinton-Dix was traded to the Washington Redskins in October and spent his previous four-plus NFL seasons with the Bears’ archrival, the Green Bay Packers. Bears safety Adrian Amos signed with the Packers on Wednesday and was introduced at Lambeau Field on Thursday.

Clinton-Dix didn’t miss a game while with the Packers, posting 390 tackles, 14 interceptions and 25 passes defensed.

The Redskins signed safety Landon Collins to a six-year, $84 million deal at the outset of free agency this week.

Vikings retain DE Griffen after restructure

The Minnesota Vikings agreed to

Vikings retain DE Griffen after restructure

The Minnesota Vikings agreed to a restructured contract with defensive end Everson Griffen, general manager Rick Spielman confirmed Thursday, hours before his $10.9 million salary for 2019 would have become guaranteed

According to NFL Network, Griffen will instead make $8 million in 2019, with the potential to opt out of his deal if he hits certain performance marks.

Griffen had signed a four-year, $58 million extension in July of 2017 that ran through 2022. The Vikings could have released him outright before his salary became guaranteed on Thursday, which would have saved $10.5 million off the cap with just $1.2 million in dead money.

The 31-year-old finished with 5.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits last season in 11 games (10 starts), missing five games due to mental health issues. Griffen was involved in a series of incidents in September that concerned teammates, team personnel and family members, and he left the team for a month before returning in late October.

Griffen totaled 43.5 sacks and 101 QB hits from 2014-2017 while missing just two games, earning three Pro Bowl nods from 2015-17. A fourth-round pick in 2010, he has 66.5 sacks and 152 QB hits in 132 career games (73 starts) across nine seasons with the Vikings.

Reports: Chiefs agree to deal with DE Okafor

Reports: Chiefs agree to deal with DE Okafor

The Kansas City Chiefs continued to rework their defense as they agreed Thursday to a three-year, $24 million deal with defensive end Alex Okafor, according to multiple reports.

A six-year veteran who played the last two seasons in New Orleans, Okafor arrives on the heels of the Chiefs also adding safety Tyrann Mathieu, whose deal was officially signed Thursday.

Kansas City opened up cap space recently with the release of linebacker Justin Houston and defensive back Eric Berry. The Chiefs also traded franchise-tagged pass rusher Dee Ford to the San Francisco 49ers, citing a poor fit in new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense.

Okafor, 28, had four sacks, nine QB hits and 36 tackles last season for the Saints, who advanced to the NFC Championship Game. He started all 16 games in 2018, the first time in his career he has played a full season.

In 68 career NFL games with the Arizona Cardinals and Saints, the former 2013 fourth-round pick out of Texas has 22 sacks, 48 QB hits, 156 tackles and nine passes defensed. He had career highs of eight sacks and 13 QB hits in 2014 with the Arizona Cardinals.

Ravens C Skura tops list of NFL's performance bonuses

Ravens C Skura tops list of NFL’s performance bonuses

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura earned the highest distribution from the NFL’s performance-based pay for the 2018 season, the league announced Thursday.

NFL players will receive $140.88 million from the performance-based pool, which is a benefit in the collective bargaining agreement that compensates players based upon playing time and salary levels.

The NFL Players Association also dedicated $48 million in benefits for a veteran performance-based compensation pool for players with one or more accrued seasons. A total of $188.88 million will be disbursed under the combined pools.

Skura, a second-year pro in 2018 after being an undrafted free agent, earned $533,558 in performance-based pay after playing in every offensive snap and 17 percent of Baltimore’s special teams plays. That bonus money nearly doubled his 2018 salary of $555,000.

Reports: Seahawks re-sign LB Wright, add OL Iupati

Reports: Seahawks re-sign LB Wright, add OL Iupati

Wright’s deal is for two years and $15.5 million, according to NFL Network. The move keeps the Seahawks’ linebacking corps intact for the 2019 season.

Iupati’s deal is for one year.

Wright, 29, has spent all eight years with Seattle after the team selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. He missed 11 games last season with a knee injury. Wright had four consecutive seasons with 100-plus tackles before that, and he has career totals of 11.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles.

Iupati played the past four seasons in Arizona after spending the first five seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers. The 31-year-old tackle is a four-time Pro Bowler and made All-Pro in 2012. He has started all 114 games in his career.

Reports: Cowboys bring back WR Austin, sign DL Covington

The Cowboys

Reports: Cowboys bring back WR Austin, sign DL Covington

The Cowboys and Tavon Austin have agreed on a one-year deal to keep the speedy wide receiver in Dallas, according to reports.

Austin played in just seven games due to injury last season, catching eight passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He could be in line for more targets now that Cole Beasley left the Cowboys for Buffalo.

Austin also ran the ball six times for 55 yards.

Austin has 14 career touchdowns in six NFL seasons, the first five of which came with the Rams.

The Cowboys also signed free agent defensive lineman Christian Covington to a one-year deal to bolster a line that will be without Randy Gregory and David Irving next season. Covington posted 7.5 sacks in 50 games with the Houston Texans over the past four seasons.

Browns sign OL Kush

Offensive lineman

Browns sign OL Kush

Offensive lineman Eric Kush has signed with the Cleveland Browns, the team announced Thursday.

Kush, 29, played in a career-high 15 games for the Chicago Bears last season, starting seven games, including the first three of the season at left guard. He figures to at least add a depth component to any of Cleveland’s three interior line positions.

Kush played 344 snaps in Chicago last season.

Kush has played in 33 games (12 starts) in five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs (2013-14), St. Louis Rams (2015) and Bears (2016, 2018). He missed the 2017 season due to a torn hamstring suffered during training camp.

Lions welcome DE Flowers with $90M deal

Lions welcome DE Flowers with $90M deal

Trey Flowers put pen to paper on a $90 million contract Thursday, officially becoming the fifth-highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

The former Patriots defensive end, who aligned at six different positions for at least 15 snaps last season in New England, was a coveted chess piece for Matt Patricia’s defense in Detroit. Patricia coached Flowers as defensive coordinator with the Patriots before he became head coach of the Lions last season.

Flowers racked up 21 sacks and 59 QB hits over the past three seasons. He received a $28 million signing bonus.

At an average of $18 million per season, Flowers’ annual salary exceeds the current number for franchise tagged defensive ends.

Jets release RB Crowell with Bell in tow

Jets release RB Crowell with Bell in tow

One day after signing Le’Veon Bell to a $52.5 million deal, the New York Jets released incumbent starting running back Isaiah Crowell.

Crowell signed with the Jets in free agency last March after four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Crowell’s release initiates a $2 million cap hit for 2019.

He had a team-high 143 carries for 685 yards and six touchdowns for the Jets in 2018.

While Bell didn’t play last season, the plan is to keep him on the field as a three-down back in head coach Adam Gase’s system. Bell had 7,996 yards from scrimmage and 42 touchdowns in 62 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Report: Saints restructure Brees’ contract, create $11M in cap space

Report: Saints restructure Brees’ contract, create $11M in cap space

The New Orleans Saints restructured quarterback Drew Brees’ contract in order to clear up $10.8 million in cap space for this season, NFL Network reported Thursday.

Brees will make $22.7 million in 2019, and the $10.8 million will get deferred to count against the team’s cap in 2020 to the tune of $21.3 million overall, whether the future Hall of Famer is on the team or not.

But it’s a win-now move for the Saints, who are reportedly trying to resign backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and make a play for free agent tight end Jared Cook.

Reports: Cardinals to sign OL Garcia

Reports: Cardinals to sign OL Garcia

Garcia was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2015 draft and played in 56 games for the team, starting 41. Garcia is primarily a left guard but has played some on the right side. Garcia is coming off an ACL tear suffered in mid-November.

The Cardinals, beset with injuries and poor play in the trenches last year, have already traded for Pittsburgh OT Marcus Gilbert and come to terms with former Seattle guard J.R. Sweezy.

Redskins release LB Brown, DT McGee

Redskins release LB Brown, DT McGee

Linebacker Zach Brown and defensive tackle Stacy McGee were released by the Washington Redskins on Wednesday.

Brown was on the trading block, according to NFL Network, but the Redskins did not find a partner.

The Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets are reportedly in the market for inside linebacker help. However, the Jets agreed to a deal with Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley on Monday.

The 29-year-old Brown has played for the Titans, Bills and Redskins, posting five seasons with 90-plus tackles.

Releasing Brown saves the Redskins $5.75 million against the 2019 salary cap, and the franchise recovers $2.27 million by cutting McGee.

McGee turned 29 in January and the 330-pound nose tackle was caught up in a numbers game on the Washington defensive line. He has played in 75 career games but only eight last season.

He played in all 16 games and logged 432 snaps in 2017 but required offseason groin surgery and started 2018 on the physically unable to perform list.

WR Perriman joins Bucs instead of Browns

Free agent wide

WR Perriman joins Bucs instead of Browns

Free agent wide receiver Breshad Perriman was set to sign a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns, but backed out after they agreed to a trade for Odell Beckham Jr., according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Instead, Perriman signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday, the team announced. Per multiple reports, the deal is worth $4 million, the same amount he was set to make in Cleveland..

A first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, Perriman has struggled to make an impact in the NFL. He made just four starts in 27 appearances over three seasons in Baltimore, then signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent in 2018 only to be released days later.

He latched on with the injury-depleted Browns last season and had 16 catches for 340 yards and two touchdowns.

According to reports, the addition of Beckham concerned Perriman, who is hoping to have a breakout season that will let him earn a larger contract next offseason.

The Buccaneers lost receivers DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries this offseason.

Jaguars officially sign Foles, release Bortles

Jaguars officially sign Foles, release Bortles

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced Wednesday they have acquired free agent quarterback Nick Foles and released Blake Bortles.

A news conference is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m. ET, at which time the club will introduce Foles. A video posted to the team’s Twitter feed showed a jersey being made with the No. 7 and Foles’ name on the back.

While the team did not disclose any contract terms, reports earlier this week put the deal at four years and $88 million, with $50 million guaranteed and incentives that can push the total money beyond the $100 million mark.

“We’re really, really thrilled that Nick wanted to be a Jaguar,” offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, who worked with Foles in Philadelphia, told the team’s website.

Bortles’ release came less than two hours after the announcement of Foles’ signing.

Over the last few weeks, all signs pointed to the Jaguars signing Foles, who was allowed to enter free agency by the Philadelphia Eagles after guiding the team to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, including a run to the Super Bowl XII championship to cap the 2017 season. Foles, named MVP of that game, then took over for Carson Wentz down the stretch again in 2018 when a back injury ended Wentz’s season, and he pushed Philadelphia into a divisional playoff matchup at New Orleans.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman announced at the NFL Scouting Combine that Foles “deserves to lead a team.”

“We had conversations at the end of the season, and he knew where I stood and how I felt about him,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said. “Obviously, he’s a big part of our success the past two years. It’s an opportunity now for him to become a starter, and I’m excited for him to do that.”

Wentz was out during the Super Bowl run recovering from reconstructive knee surgery. Last season, he missed the final month of the regular season, plus two playoff games, with a fracture in his back. Wentz is expected to make a full recovery and return as the starter in 2019.

The Jaguars gave Bortles, a first-round pick in 2014 who hasn’t developed into a consistent starter, a three-year, $54 contract last year, but he went 3-9 and was benched for Cody Kessler.

Bortles’ release will save Jacksonville just $4.5 million against the cap, while leaving $16.5 million in dead money, unless Bortles is designated as a June 1 release. That would create an additional $5 million savings in 2019 by diverting $5 million in dead money to 2020.